Gate-hinge structure.



G. I. KBNDRIGK E J. CARROLL. GATE HINGE STRUCTURE.

v APPLIOATION FILED MAB.. 25, 1909. 989,706.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WJ 9 OJ Patented Nov. 9, 1909. n

W Jamey kf/WZZ Gc I KENDRIGK @L J GARRLL GATE HINGE STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 25 1909 939,706. Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

Witwe/aseo W" GEORG-E I. KENDRICK AND JAMES CARROLL, OF PITTSFIELD,ILLINOIS.

GATE-HINGE STRUCTURE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

Application filed March 25, 1909. Serial No. 485,757.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that we, GEORGE I. KENDRIGK and JAMES CARROLL, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Pittsfield, in the county of Pike andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGate-Hinge Structures, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to gates, and particularly to that variety of gatewherein the frame of the gate is formed of members pivoted to each otherso that the free end of the gate may be moved up or down, and sagging ofthe gate maybe prevented or taken up.

The object of our invention is to improve gates of this character byproviding an upper hinge plate for the rear end thereof, which forms atonce a hinge upon which the gate is supported from the gate post, and aratchet plate over which a tension rod or wire engages. This plate isprovided with a plurality of ratchets, whereby a take-up wire or tensionrod may be engaged, thereby elevating the forward end of the gate to anydegree desired, and thus providing a gate whose forward end may beeasily raised to clear an obstruction; may he held in a raised positionto allow small stock to pass under, or to pass over snow drifts andwhich may be adjusted to compensate for any sag of the forward end ofthe gate.

In the drawing, we have shown our invention as applied to the simplestform of gate, but it will of course be obvious that we do not wish tolimit ourselves to this application, this form of gate being merelyshown for illustrative purposes.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and toacquire a knowledge of the details of constructio-n, reference is to behad to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the gate in its normal position; Fig. 2 is aside view of the gate with its forward end raised; Fig. .3 is a detailenlarged elevation of the rear end of the upper bar of the gate and thehinge attached; and, Fig. 4 is a top view of the same. Fig. 5 is a topview of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

The gate illustrated in the drawing, comprises a series of longitudinalbars 2 which are pivoted at their forward ends to a vertical bar 3, attheir middles to a vertical bar 11, and at their rear ends to a verticalbar 5. The pivoting of these members to each other may be accomplishedby the use of bolts, if desired, or any other suitable means to the end.6 designates the front gate post, and 7 the rear or hinge gate post ofany usual construction. A latch S is adapted to connect the gate to thefront gate post. The hinge post '7 is provided with outwardly andupwardly projecting pintle pins 9, as usual in constructions of thischaracter.

Our specific invention resides in the plate 10 which is shown in detailin Figs. 3 and 4. This plate is adapted to rest upon and be attached tothe upper edge of the uppermost of the bars 2 at the rear end thereof.The upper face of the plate is provided with the rearwardly extendingratchet teeth 11, and the rear extremity of the plate is formed into aneye 12 having rounded interior edges which fit loosely over and rotateupon the upwardly turned end of the pintle 9. The side of the plate 10is provided with the downwardly projecting ear 13 having the openingthrough which a pivotal bolt 15 passes/ This plate 13 lits down on theinside face of the beam or bar 2 and is held in place by the verticalbar 5 and the bolt 15, as before stated. 17 designates a loop of wire ora tension rod preferably in loop form which is connected in any suitablemanner to the front bar 8, preferably at or about its middle, as shownin the drawing. This tension loop 1T is connected to the bar 3 in anydesired manner, the simplest being by means of a notch 18 in the bar 3.The tension rod or loop 17 is of sufficient extent to extend from thefront bar 3 to the ratchet teeth 11 of the plate 10 and to engage withany of these ratchet teeth, depending upon the extent of elevation ofthe forward end of the gate. Thus, when the gate is in its normalposition shown in Fig. 1, the tension loop or bar 17 will engage withthe forward tooth of the series of ratchet teeth, and the gate in thisposition will be horizontal. Vhen, however, it is desired to elevate thefree end of the gate, it is lifted, and the tension rod is thus over oneof the rear teeth. It will be obvious that the movement of elevation ofthe free end of the gate will depend upon the tooth to which the tensionloop 17 is connected, and the greatest movement of front lift will besecured by engagi up any sagging of the gate. Also of course, Y

when the loop 17 is disengaged from the free end of the ratchet, thefree end of the gate may also rest upon the ground, thus taking up anystrain upon the gate, as for instance, when the gate is fully opened andit is desired to have it remain open. The specific advantage incident toour peculiar form of hinge and ratchet lies in the fact that the strainupon the tension rod 17 does not come against the frame of the gate,which would tend thus to strain the gate, but against the pintle 9 whereit belongs. Thus the pull of the tension members 17 is brought directlyto the hinge where it should be; second, that the gate weight on thehinge by combining the plate and the hinge 3 and placing the front endof the tension loop brace 17 at or near the center of the free end ofthe gate, acts as an equalizer, that is, it braces the gate equally aswell when the front end of the gate is three or four feet from theground, as when it is only two inches from the ground. It will also beseen that with our device there is no strain upon the top part of thegate, and thus therevis no tendency for the gate to be racked apartunder strain and to sag unduly. I/Vhile we have shown a wire loop as thetension brace, we do not wish to be limited to this, as it is obviousthat this particular might be changed without departing from the spiritof the invention which consists in making the hinge and latch in one, sothat the pull of the brace will be of one of said horizontal members,said ratchet plate having teeth upon its upper face and having an eye atits rear y end adapted to engage with said pintle, and a tension braceengaging the free end of the gate and extending rearward and engagingwith the ratchet teeth of said plate.

2. A gate having at its rear end a ratchet plate, said plate havingteeth on its upper face and being providedV at its rear end with an eye,a tension brace engaging the free end of the gate and adapted to extendback over and engage with one of said teeth, and a pintle having anupwardly turned end with which said eye on the ratchet plate engages topivotally support the gate.

3. In a gate, the combination with a series of vertical and horizontalgate sections pivoted to each other, and a gate post having pintlesthereon, of a horizontal plate attached to the rear end of one of saidhorizontal sections, said plate having at its rear end means forengaging said pintle and being provided with upwardly projecting ratchetteeth, and a tension brace attached at its forward end to the free edgeof the gate and at its rear end Vextending over said ratchet teeth.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signa tures in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE I. KENDRICK. [1.. s] JAMES CARROLL. [E s] Titnesses JAMES H.CRANE, GEORGE C. IVEAVER.

